Hand-held unbraider apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for facilitating the unbraiding process comprising a handle, a lubricating container, a comb, and a brush integral with said handle, said parts forming a sequence on the axis of the apparatus in the order as listed above. To unbraid several parallel braids, the apparatus is placed over said parallel braids with its axis parallel to the braids and said comb and brush touching braided hair. Then lubricant is applied and said handle is pressed to cause sufficient penetration of teeth of said comb into hair. Then the apparatus is pulled along said braids causing their unbraiding under the pressure of said teeth with subsequent brushing of unbraided portion of hair, and repeating said process either periodically with interruptions for adjusting the initial vertical or horizontal position of the handle until the unbraided hair condition becomes acceptable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hair braiding and in particular, to taking braids out (“unbraiding”). About 75% of Non-Caucasian population of the USA braid hair. It takes time and money to put in braids, especially braiding short naturally curling hair into a set of many fine braids. Yet braiding out is done not just for style and convenience. It may have a medicinal merit. Also, unbraiding is important for hygienic reason. Male and female braiding styles are different: men prefer horizontal braids, and women prefer vertical braids. To facilitate unbraiding, some chemical substances exist such as “Cholestecol Hair Conditioning Cream.” Unfortunately, this substance and the like, do not separate individual strands and mechanical forces are required to accomplish the separation. To facilitate unbraiding, single-function devices have been known for centuries, such as a comb with sole tooth, M. Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,920. Combinations of a brush and a comb are popular, see J. Ford, U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,633. There the simultaneous action of a brush and a comb is impossible, and integration of two these parts in one apparatus yields no new effect. The present invention discloses the combination of three components—a lubricator, a comb, and a brush, that permits the self-unbraiding, combing and brushing of several braids simultaneously in one movement of the hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The more frequent V-type (“vertical”) braids are easier to unbraid by the preferred “vertical” embodiment of the invention. It becomes more apparent upon studying the description of drawings thereof:

FIG. 1 is the side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing an apparatus showing a combination of lubricator, comb, and brush apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan of the embodiment of the invention on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings on FIGS. 1-3, new combination lubricator, comb, and brush apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention will be described.

Said apparatus invented, primarily, for unbraiding sets of vertical braids, is designated by reference numeral 10, and its components: the handle 12, the lubricator 30, the comb 28, and the brush 22, are comprising said apparatus 10 in the order as stated, along the longitudinal axis 18 common for all said parts integral with the sturdy general holder 16, all said components comprising apparatus 10.

Said handle 12 is made to be conveniently held.

Said lubricator 30 is a container with lubricating fluid or gel, and a flexible cover 40 permitting exertion of pressure of operator's thumb on said contents of said lubricator 30.

Said lubricator 30 has a several small diameter pipes 29 attached to the bottom thereof. Said pipes 29 form a row transversal to the axis 18, have upper ends opening into said container, and have lower ends with orifices 31 with means to regulate the flow of said contents from said lubricator under pressure of operator's thumb. Said comb 28 has several sturdy teeth 41 forming a row transversal to the axis 18, the distance between said teeth 41 being approximately equal to the distance between the braids to be unbraided.

Said brush 22 has a multiplicity of bristles 26 capable to penetrate unbraided hair and properly condition and fluff it.

MODUS OPERANDI OF THE EMBODIMENT

To use said apparatus 10 the operator fills the container of lubricator 30 with the proper lubricant and closes the cover 40. Then the apparatus 10 is placed over the braids so that its axis 18 coincides with the general direction of braids to be unbraided, the orifices 31 being approximately above the braids. Then the operator presses the cover 40 until braids are sufficiently wetted by the lubricant to allow comb teeth to penetrate the braids. The apparatus 10 then is pulled down along the braids unbraiding them, and bristles 26 of the brush 16 subsequently are fluffing hair until desirable condition. If necessary, the same set of operations is repeated on same set of braids if unbraiding was not complete and, otherwise, is applied onto a next set of braids.

The components of the invention are well known and can be easily integrated into an inexpensive efficient unbraiding apparatus. What makes it an invention is a new capability to simultaneously unbraid and condition hair in one continuous motion of one hand. Obviously, with an average skill in the art, the order of components and geometry of the apparatus design may be changed to adapt to a particular hair style within the frame of the present invention. 

1. A combination lubricator, comb, and brush apparatus comprising: a sequence of a handle and combination of lubricator, comb, and brush, all parts extending along a longitudinal axis in stated order and integral with a general holder, a lubricator having means to be filled with, contain, and release on the braids at operator's will the lubricant facilitating separation of hair, a comb with plurality of teeth forming a row projecting downward from said general holder and transversal thereto, and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said teeth spacing being approximately equal to spacing between braids, and a brush with a plurality of bristles parallel to said teeth of said comb;
 2. An apparatus for unbraiding the horizontal braids wherein said handle is attached to the general holder at the angle of 45° to 135° with other parts of the claim 1 remaining the same;
 3. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein two parallel rows of said teeth of said comb are arranged instead of one row. 